Our Cup Runneth Over

It's a beautiful evening in Nashville and I'm in my customary spot on our back porch, as I write this. The back door is open, so our cats are going in and out at will, roaming around the back yard. Our next door neighbors are having a cookout and I can hear voices laughing and talking across the fence. We've had quite a bit of rain this spring, so the grass and trees are really green and healthy. I'm listening to Neil Young, Live at Massey Hall (1971).

Friday evening, before it was dark, Jude and I were upstairs in the "Men's Lounge" (a.k.a. nursery) decompressing after a long week and watching John Patrick sleep, when we heard someone knocking on our front door. I went downstairs and was pleasantly surprised to see an old friend and fraternity brother from college, Brent Neal, out front. Brent sits near us at the Nashville Predators' hockey games and I had showed him photographs of John Patrick shortly after he was born. Brent, who had never been to our house, had stopped by to deliver a baby gift.

I was really touched, since Brent and his wife, Kay, are not people I see on a regular basis. The fact that he would find our address and drop by to leave a gift meant a great deal to me. We talked for a while about children, schools, work, etc., then he left. It was nice to spend a few minutes with him.

Later that evening, I was reflecting, again, on how lucky Jude and I are to have so many good friends. People have been so generous and thoughtful to us, throughout Jude's pregnancy and after John Patrick was born. It is a humbling experience indeed to have so many people - people whom we admire and respect - take the time to send us a card, telephone us, stop by to see us or send a baby gift. We are blessed to have so many wonderful friends. It's reassuring to know we have a network of friends and family to support us while we find our way as parents.